Top 5 Veggies To Grow At Home

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Growing your own vegetables just makes sense: it’s practical, gives you more nutritional value, and those salad fixings taste great.

Fruits and vegetables start losing nutrients once they are harvested. Even worse, domestically grown produce sold in conventional supermarkets has traveled on average some 1500 miles from farm to table; it’s also probably been picked before it ripened and treated, possibly with fungicides, so it can be stored.

So what are you waiting for? Here are five delicious vegetables you can grow easily in your backyard. Or, if you have no yard, no problem! Even if you live in an apartment the size of a salad bowl, all you need is one sunny window and some window box planters.

From fastest to slowest:

1. Radishes mature very quickly—some in as little as 3 weeks. Radishes are high in vitamin C and potassium. As a cruciferous vegetable, they are believed to have anti-cancer properties, and radish greens are high in calcium.

How to grow:

Space your seeds about ½ inch deep and 1 – 2 inches apart; firm the soil and be sure to water gently. For quick growth and best flavor, water regularly, but don’t swamp your seedlings. If growing outside, make weekly spring sowings as soon as you can work the soil.

Photo Credit: thinkstock

2. Mesclun Mix, (or any salad greens) will grow well in almost any container as long as it has adequate drainage holes. In just a few weeks you will be amazed to see those leaves pop up! This mix provides excellent antioxidant qualities and is high in vitamins A, B2, B9 and C, as well as minerals such as manganese, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium.

How to grow:

Mesclun is the French term for a mix of salad greens. The traditional mesclun mix contains lettuces such as chicory, arugula and endive. Fill your container with bagged potting soil and sprinkle the seeds over the top of the soil, about 1″ apart. Cover the seeds with of potting soil. Water well and keep the soil moist.

Photo Credit: thinkstock

3. Carrots can be harvested beginning around two months after the seeds germinate. In addition to being delicious, they are very high in fiber, manganese, niacin, potassium and vitamins A, B6 and C.

How to grow:

Sow carrot seeds two to three inches apart in a pot that is at least twelve inches deep. I’ve made the mistake of forgetting about them and leaving them in the soil too long. Carrots are at their tastiest when harvested small. You’ll also want to make sure to keep your carrots evenly moist; letting the soil dry out too often can result in somewhat tough, stringy carrots.

Photo Credit: thinkstock

4. Peas will take a minimum of two or three months to grow. But if you’ve ever picked that pod off the growing vine and eaten it right away, you know it’s worth it. In addition to being delicious, peas are high in fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins A, B6 and C.

How to grow:

Inside or outside, sow peas approximately 2 inches apart. If you’re doing this in a pot, make sure that it is at least 10 inches deep. Provide support for peas to climb up. If you are growing peas outdoors, be aware that hot weather may stop them producing. Instead, plan to grow your peas in early spring or late summer/ early fall.

Photo Credit: thinkstock

5. Tomatoes will take at least three months to grow, and probably longer. They are very popular, but they do require a careful touch and a lot of attention. But nothing beats a freshly picked, perfectly ripe tomato. They are also incredibly good for us, containing fiber, iron, magnesium, niacin, potassium and vitamins A, B6 and C, as well as the antioxidant lycopene.

How to grow:

There are numerous varieties of tomatoes, and your container size will vary from 8 to 18 inches deep, depending on the variety. In all cases, you want just one tomato plant per pot. As a first-time tomato grower, you should probably buy small tomato plants from a nursery and not try to grow them from seed. Find a good sunny spot for your tomatoes and keep them watered and fed.

I wasn't supposed to have a garden this year because I am going into the hospital tomorrow to have my hip replaced. Yeah, right! My garden, you know, the one I'm not supposed to have, is already producing several varieties of lettuce, radishes, onions, cilantro, kale and my carrots are coming along nicely. My nice new neighbor from New York, Nancy, is going to tend it for me and I told her to help herself. I'm an old farm gal and new hip or not, I must see something growing.

I grew green beens last year ( freshness and taste) great , for thoes of you who live in apartments or have no time ,as you may think , try a few herbs ,ask at the shop for advice
Then ,, you have a plant and some fresh herbs,,